Belgium

Booyah Chicken! This particular recipe came from a military base in Belgium and seems to be a fitting name for the dish. However, the name Booyah does not come from the military. The dish originated in Belgium and was brought to the northeastern part of Wisconsin in 1853 by Belgian immigrants. It is a very hearty soup/stew made primarily with chicken but may include other meats, and has been referred to fondly as “Belgian Penicillin.” There is some discussion about the origin of the name, some say it comes from the word “bouillon” or the French word “bouillir”, others insist that it comes from “bouyu” in the Belgian Walloon language.

Additions/Omissions: For usual reasons in this challenge, I did not use the pork and left out the rosemary. Since the dinner fell during Passover, I had to leave out the peas (legumes) and the green beans (different groups say that green beans are OK for Passover since they do not soak up water and swell like other beans). But when in doubt, leave it out. I also cut the chicken and beef, before boiling, into small bite-size pieces.

Taste Test: very good, the smaller chunks of chicken and beef kept them very tender

Zip Facts about Belgium:

Belgium, considered one of the “low countries” with land at or below sea level, is populated by two major groups, the Flemish and the Walloons

Stamp collecting and model trains are popular pastimes for Belgians, who are known traditionally for crafts such as lacemaking, tapestry, pottery, hand puppets and marionettes

On Shrove Tuesday in Binche, the “March of the Gilles” parades men in padded costumes and white hats with ostrich plumes who pelt spectators with oranges and bags of water

The Cat Festival of Ypres celebrates the medieval overpopulation of cats that were brought into town to “fix” the rat infestation. Revelers toss stuffed toy cats off the rooftops to mimic the “fixing” of the cat problem

Among the very popular dishes in Belgium are the carbonades of beef stewed in Belgian beer. In addition to over 300 varieties of beer, Belgian specialties include chocolate and waffles